No trace of the letter "c" can be found in this brown gelding's name. But a few terms that start with that letter perfectly describe him.

Classy, consistent, Cal-bred and champion. It is not a case of picking just one, either. They all fit with this son of Grazen, and he lived up to that quartet of words after just one year at the races.

The consistency actually started at the very beginning. In his career debut at the Los Alamitos winter meet in 2018, Lieutenant Dan finished third while taking on fellow Cal-breds. For the Steven Miyadi trainee, the initial outing was a building block as the 2019 season loomed. And Lieutenant Dan proved to be up to the task.

Almost a month later at Santa Anita, Lieutenant Dan proved what his pedigree indicated: that he was a win-early type. Like his sire, Grazen, he graduated second time out, and that set him on course for a terrific season that saw him finish third or better in eight of nine starts. He took pictures at Santa Anita, Golden Gate Fields and Del Mar, proving he could handle dirt and synthetic. He also scored some placings on turf, making him a good all-around horse on different surfaces.

Of those nine appearances, Lieutenant Dan emerged the victor four times. The highlights in that regard were his two stakes scores, first in the Echo Eddie at Santa Anita in March and later the Real Good Deal at Del Mar that summer. A pair of thirds in the Silky Sullivan at Golden Gate Fields and the Snow Chief at Santa Anita were sandwiched in between those victories, and Lieutenant Dan closed out the campaign with a third in Del Mar's Shared Belief in the waning days of August. The gelding's 2019 finale capped off his first championship season, as Lieutenant Dan was elected that year's Top Cal-bred Three Year Old Male by the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association for his work.

More divisional titles awaited Lieutenant Dan, but there would be a wait to collect them. In what turned out to be an abbreviated 2020 for him, Lieutenant Dan was no less productive at four years of age. In three starts, all of which took place in stakes at Santa Anita during the winter and spring, Lieutenant Dan put together a second in the California Cup Sprint, a win in the Sensational Star, and a second in the Crystal Water. The Sensational Star served as a milestone for Lieutenant Dan, for it marked the equine's first victory on the turf after numerous placings over it. While that definitely ranked as the high point in a limited season, Lieutenant Dan also showed more intensity that year. In previous stretch runs, he had exhibited a workmanlike approach as he finished up races. But in the California Cup Sprint and Sensational Star, he moved with more power, more strength as the wire neared. That could have been the product of race experience or just getting better as he got older, but those moments, along with that first turf victory, set the stage for Lieutenant Dan's career year.

It would be over thirteen months before Lieutenant Dan returned to the races. The site was Del Mar, and he immediately racked up another turf win against allowance optional claiming company after dueling early. That powerful stretch run was back, and it returned a few weeks later when Lieutenant Dan scored his first graded stakes victory in the Grade III Green Flash over the Del Mar grass. The class of Lieutenant Dan showed here, and not just because of the fact the race was graded. After getting the early lead, Lieutenant Dan was passed but soon battled back to retake it. Despite being away from the races for more than a year, the power in Lieutenant Dan had not weakened.

A new test awaited the gelding in his next outing. It was on turf, but not at Del Mar. The Grade II Eddie D. was contested over Santa Anita' hillside turf course, a layout Lieutenant Dan had yet to try. But the assignment did not intimidate him. After stalking the early pace, Lieutenant Dan took over in the stretch, giving the crowd a combination of his powerful and workmanlike approaches to stretch runs to score the biggest victory of his career. A moment like that would have been a fitting conclusion to his five-year-old season, but Lieutenant Dan had one more start for 2021. And it would be on the biggest stage in racing.

Entered in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, Lieutenant Dan was in good position early, securing second place. He would finish as the runner-up that day behind the talented Golden Pal, but not before displaying his power and determination in the stretch. Though it was his lone defeat in 2022, Lieutenant Dan gave a terrific performance in front of the home crowd on one of the sport's biggest days. His connections and fans had great reason to be proud.

With three wins, two of which came against graded stakes company, and a second in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Lieutenant Dan cleaned up at the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Awards for 2022. Two years after taking Cal-bred Champion Three-Year-Old honors, he added four more titles for his stellar 2021 campaign: Champion Cal-bred Older Male, Champion Cal-bred Sprinter, Champion Cal-bred Turf Horse, and Cal-bred Horse of the Year. Just over two years removed from his debut at Los Alamitos, Lieutenant Dan stood as one of the most talented Cal-breds in recent memory.

One more start was in Lieutenant Dan's future. Back at Del Mar towards the conclusion of the 2022 summer meet, he visited the turf in an attempt to defend his Green Flash Handicap title. The performance was classic Lieutenant Dan as he stayed within striking distance of the leaders before getting through on the inside and strongly finishing to make it two straight Green Flash victories in his career finale.

Retired in October 2023, Lieutenant Dan exited the races with nine victories. He also finished third or better all but once, a brilliant record filled with consistency and versatility. But a couple more words that start with the letter "c" can be applied to Lieutenant Dan.

First, he was courageous. Shyness did not reside within Lieutenant Dan when he was on track. No, the gelding battled up front, pursued leaders in the stretch, and that bravery played a role in his success.

That also coincides with the second word to describe him: confident. With the amount of wins and placings he earned, it is clear Lieutenant Dan had confidence. But when he ran, he did so calmly. Nothing bothered him on the racetrack. When the stretch run came, Lieutenant Dan was prepared. And outside of one race early in his career, he showed up in the top three every time. He knew he would run well. And he did.

In Lieutenant Dan's eighteen career starts, he never once set foot out of California. But he didn't need to. His career worked out very well. And for the racing fans in the north and south, they got to see the career of this pure racehorse, who was foaled in the state, play out from start to finish. In that sense, those fans were very privileged.